Issuing a statement today on his website, incoming human rights commissioner Tim Wilson said: "The imprisonment of people for free association who are not otherwise engaged in criminal activity is deeply, deeply disturbing".

"The fact that other states have and continue to look at replicating these laws is equally disturbing," he added.

Mrs Carew says she is getting a lot of attention for being an outspoken critic of the new laws.

"I'm not just fighting for my husband and brother and friends, I'm fighting for all Queenslanders because the reality is it will affect everybody in some way," she said.